Looking to leave Los Angeles, recent empty nester and interior designer Christine Thompson reached out to a friend from college looking for help finding a home in Summit County. She ended up with a whiskey bar. 

The college friend, Michele Hart, led Thompson and her husband, Jay Dorman, to an upcoming complex at the end of Frisco Main Street. The 9097 Flats landed well with the pair and, knowing about their aspirations to one day open a whiskey bar, Hart tipped Thompson off about an available retail space on the first floor. She went home that day and told her husband that they were not only going to become Frisco residents, but Frisco business owners. 

Dorman said — while there seemed to be no choice — he was all in. Thompson began crafting the vision immediately for the future Silver Crown Whiskey Bar, which opened on Aug. 15. 

Thompson describes Silver Crown as Scottish pub meets ski chalet. The theme lives even in the spot’s two bathrooms, one of which plays into the rustic feel of a pub, while the other has a ski chalet aesthetic. Cozy seating along a bookshelf mimics that of a bar in Edinburgh the pair visited in 2019. Walls and shelves are adorned with stag antlers, which Dorman said gives a nod to his family’s Scottish culture because the antlers look like a crown.

With design nailed down, the interior design and technology director couple needed to tackle bar and food menus. They said the talent they found exceeded their expectations for what they originally thought they could offer. 

For a curator for the drink menu, they brought on Nicole Trombetta, known for her work helping to open Sauce on the Blue in Silverthorne and its sister restaurants and for her time at the Gravity Haus and Legends Steak and Seafood. 

“Calling Nicole a mixologist is an understatement, she is literally a magician,” Thompson said. 

Dorman said he’s witnessed her knack for the craft turn scotch-haters into scotch-supporters. He said she’s the type of bartender who just needs to hear what people like — and what they don’t — to make them one of the best cocktails they’ve ever had. 

To curate the food menu, Dorman said he couldn’t believe his luck when Summit County chef Manny Torres “came out of nowhere.” Torres’ resume includes Michelin Star restaurants, as well as Rootstalk Breckenridge.

“The way that he looks at food is just so beautiful and so passionate, and the way he wants to feed others is just like a delicacy … He’s just so amped up whenever he makes such a great dish,” Trombetta said.

Dorman said he’s the type of chef that cuts basil fresh off the plant as a finishing touch to a dish. 

Trombetta said one of his standout menu items is Torres’ take on steak tartare, American wagyu topped with caviar. Dorman said he makes the best gluten-free substitutes he’s ever had, calling out specifically his focaccia and breakfast menu items, like bread pudding french toast sticks. He said they also wanted to ensure they offer grab-and-go breakfast options for folks trying to catch the shuttle with service to Copper Mountain. 

The team behind the Silver Crown want it to be more than a coffee and whiskey bar. Trombetta said she sees it as an opportunity to bring the mixologists of Summit together to help elevate their game. She plans to do this through providing education and training opportunities. For instance, she’s bringing in a winery in October for a tasting and training on the different soil grapes are grown in and the aging process. 

Additionally, the spot is available to rent out and can double as an event space. Thomspon said they have already rented it out to local businesses and received great feedback on the experience. 

From the jump, Trombetta wanted to introduce a happy hour residents working nine-to-five could actually attend, and the owners agreed and will institute a happy hour from 3-6 p.m.

While whiskey is the driver behind the bar, they have plenty of spirit offerings for those who aren’t whiskey fans, although Dorman said a whiskey cocktail made by Trombetta has the ability to change people’s minds. Silver Crown also offers non-alcoholic spirits. Additionally, they have a wine list and a draft beer list with offerings from local breweries like Angry James and Outer Range Brewing Company. The current cocktail list has drinks ranging from $14 to $30. Breakfast offerings range from $10 to $14 on its grand opening menu, which is the current menu, and other food offerings range from $9 to $29. It is open everyday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

More information can be found at SilverCrownBar.com.